It's called the alpha-gal allergy, named after a sugar found in the blood of certain animals such as cows and pigs.

"A tick takes a blood meal off a lower mammal like a deer or dog and then bites a human," explained Dr. Commins.

The tick has alpha-gal in its saliva, which can trigger an allergic reaction when that person eats red meat.

RESEARCH: Researchers are also trying to figure out what it is about ticks that causes this reaction. They're looking at deer blood, tick saliva, and bacteria from ticks as possible causes, and there's now research around the world, with cases of meat allergies resulting from tick bites coming from Australia and Europe, although as a result of different kinds of ticks. Once this is better understood, there's hope of someday having a treatment that could desensitize people through allergy shots. In the meantime, researchers say it's important that medical professionals other than allergists know about this condition. They say doctors need to understand that abdominal pain is a key marker of this allergy and that symptoms are delayed.

But there is some good news.

"I am so careful now when I go outside no matter where I am," said Darrow.

So she doesn't become a meal for a hungry tick again.

If this story has impacted your life or prompted you or someone you know to seek or change treatments, please let us know by contacting Jim Mertens at jim.mertens@wqad.com or Marjorie Bekaert Thomas at mthomas@ivanhoe.com.